The year started out with a big surprise for many members of Alaska Air’s Mileage Plan. They received an email saying they could link their mileage earning program to Virgin America and get a free 10,000 miles added to their account and the elite status. I was not signed up with Alaska Airlines when I heard about this offer so I quickly signed up and I was also able to get the free 10,000 miles and elite status match.
If you are a Virgin America Elevate member you can go here to the Alaska Mileage Plan. This follows Alaska’s takeover of Virgin America which closed a few weeks ago and gives a look at what their combined their loyalty programs will look like.
After I signed up I received an email saying:
Your Virgin America Elevate status is paying off on Alaska Airlines.
You’re now an MVP member. Your new benefits start with your choice of 10,000 bonus miles or $100 off any Alaska-operated flight when you activate your account.
Once you activate your account, you can get 30% more miles when you convert your Elevate points to Mileage Plan miles and then redeem your miles on Alaska, Virgin America, and our global airline partners. Want to know more about your membership? Take a video tour of Mileage Plan and learn more about our generous benefits. The elite benefits you will enjoy are:
» 50% bonus on base miles earned
» Complimentary seat upgrades to First Class and Premium Class upon availability
» Two free checked bags for you and a companion
» Priority check-in and boarding
» Discounted Alaska® Lounge membership
You should notice the 10,000 bonus miles appearing in your accounts with the description “SPECIAL SERVICES ELEVATE MEMBER OTO 10K BONUS.”
I did have some trouble getting the form to work online and process correctly so I had to call in to the customer service number for Mileage Plan but that only took a few minutes. It was absolutely worth the trouble for MVP status with Alaska Airlines and 10,000 free miles. With the 30% bonus on transferred miles from Virgin America I plan on transferring them all to Alaska.
